UKTV initiates Creative and Media transformation for next phase of growth

Thursday 26 January 2017

Broadcaster to bring creative in-house, with new roles introduced

Eight-figure media buying and planning account to be tendered

UKTV, Britain's biggest multichannel broadcaster, has initiated a comprehensive creative and media transformation that will ready it for its next phase of growth. The media company today announced plans to tender its eight-figure media planning and buying account for the first time since 2008. It will also extend its current creative capability, opening an in-house full service Creative shop, generating new roles in the business.

UKTV is driving investment into programming and distribution of brands, a strategy that has grown viewing to almost 10% of all British commercial audiences today. As our business grows, we also want our advertising to evolve in ambition, and for creative and media to be ever more agile and bold. That's why we've decided to design a bespoke, integrated creative and media service for UKTV and its brands. We want to build industry-leading effectiveness and innovation, and we're all very excited to get started.

Media overhaul

UKTV will work with ISBA and marketing analytics specialist, Ebiquity to ensure a fair and open pitch process for its media planning and buying account. First round pitches for UKTV's media planning and buying will take place next month with incumbent agency, Rocket, invited to take part.

Alasdair Weddell, UKTV's Director of Media, said, "We are inviting a handful of agencies to participate in the two round pitch process with a final decision made by the end of Q2. Through this process, my aim is to create an agency blueprint which serves the business for the coming years, and works across all media areas, with advertising effectiveness at its heart."

Creative update

The media company will also extend its award-winning creative team, led by UKTV Creative Director Scott Russell, by opening a full-service Creative shop, designed to give UKTV the very best creative support for its campaigns.

As a result, UKTV will extend its relationship with Soho-based post-production house, The Farm, which runs the post operation for the broadcaster's creative team.

While UKTV will still work with agencies for individual or occasional campaigns, the move will open up a host of new roles in the company, including senior and junior-level creatives, print, social and motion designers, and campaign and design producers.

The news comes soon after a hugely successful year for UKTV's Creative shop which enjoyed success with 18 nominations at the 2016 Promax awards and six wins.

UKTV's network of 10 channels, which includes the two most watched non-PSB channels in Britain (Dave and Drama), recently announced record ratings in the last twelve months, alongside growing digital audiences by 74% year on year. It is the first broadcaster to be named a Sunday Times Top 100 company.

ENDS

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About UKTV

UKTV is the biggest multichannel broadcaster in the UK.

The award-winning independent has eleven imaginative brands - UKTV Play, Dave, W, Gold, Alibi, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home, Eden and Good Food. These include the two most popular non-PSB channels in the UK and account for nearly 10% of the British commercial TV market.

The company's most recent financial results showed record-breaking year-end revenue of £283m and EBITDA of £74.1m. It invested £123m in programming and related launches last year, and is becoming an increasingly significant investor in UK creativity.

UKTV has a truly innovative model, curating brand-defining commissions, high-profile acquisitions and the very best of BBC, alongside programmes originally shown on ITV and Channel 4. The network embraces technology to deliver inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat, Amazon Fire and UKTV Play, and distributes its highly valued original programmes to 200 territories.

Now celebrating over 20 years at the forefront of digital television, UKTV - an independent commercial joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI) - is proud to be the only British television broadcaster to be recognised by Best Companies.